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October 2015

October 28, 2015

With it being Halloween this Saturday, I thought I would share some scary retail leadership traits. At first glance these don’t seem that bad, but they can have a truly frightening impact on the staff, customers, and sales results.

1. Inconsistency. As I often say, people rise to the level of expectation and slide to the level of acceptance. Inconsistency is the result of constantly changing expectations. There are two issues with that.

First, it's human nature to default to the easier way, and that's what most people will do. Unfortunately for human nature, the lower expectation leads to a lower quality customer experience, and that leads to lower sales and customer retention.

The other problem with inconsistency is that the team wastes valuable energy and focus trying to figure out what the standards and expectations are for that day. Be consistent and you'll have a happier and more productive team.

2. Disorganization. I once had a manager who was horribly unorganized. While he admitted it was a problem, he thought it only affected the operational parts of his job. I beg to differ.

The more time it took him to do something, the less time he had to work with his team. His lack of organization also created problems for his staff. New employees never got paid on time. Inventory was always off, impacting what the staff had to sell. Finally, the staff was always frustrated trying to get things done. Be more organized and you'll be a better leader and coach.

3. Not delegating. Like the disorganized leader, this person also spends less time working with her/his staff than other managers and owners. She also has a disengaged team that would love to learn new skills and make a bigger contribution to the store. This leader is also often stressed out because she has so much to do... which is ironic. There is only way to become a better delegator: Do it.

4. Moodiness. This one can be pretty scary. The moody leader is like the inconsistent leader, but with more drama. Moodiness can, of course, be caused by a lot of things. I have found the easiest way to overcome moodiness is to focus on what you can control, and to let go of what you can't.

And take action. Action reduces stress, which is often a driver of moodiness. Finally, smile when you start feeling moody. It's almost impossible to smile and be moody at the same time. :)

So let me ask, could any of your leadership traits have a frightening effect on the staff or business?

Here’s how to use this post as a leadership development tool.

Have every member of management read this article, and then discuss what is each person’s opportunity to be an even better leader. It may or may not be listed here. Remember, you’re not focusing on what’s wrong with someone. You’re focusing on how they can be even better. One small improvement can make a big difference to the team and results.

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and speaker/consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their sales results. Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results. Learn about Doug's keynotes and workshops at DougFleener.com.

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Join the number of stores that have immediately increased their sales with our new online training program Beyond the Add-On. The program can be taken on any tablet, smartphone, or computer. Details here.

October 21, 2015

I've long recommended that owners, executives, and managers conduct an end of holiday recap. It's important to capture what worked, didn't work, and what you'd differently, so you can use that information the following year.

Then it occurred to me - wouldn't a PRE-cap be even more productive? Doesn't it make sense to identify these things BEFORE you go into the holidays? Wouldn't a pre-cap be a great way to make sure you have the right plans in place, and maybe identify additional opportunities to create a wildly successful holiday?

So when you have time, pour a cup of your favorite beverage, grab your virtual crystal ball, put on your thinking cap, and invest 15-20 minutes in answering the following pre-cap questions.

1. Identify three to five things you know you'll be proud your staff did extremely well this holiday.

2. Identify two or three things you might look back and think might have been done even better.

3. What are the top three to five actions you're taking this holiday season to ensure that your store has enough holiday traffic to be wildly successful?

4. If your traffic falls short of expectations, what one or two things will you think you should have done differently, more or less of, etc.?

5. What three things will you be doing to see that each staff member exceeds her/his average sale targets? (Maximizing our customer opportunities will be key this holiday.)

6. If you fall short of the store's average sales targets, what do think you or your team could have done differently?

7. What are the three most important things you and your leadership team will be doing to create a wildly successful holiday?

8. If your results are below what you anticipate, what two things do you think you and your leadership team should have done differently, more or less of, etc.?

So let me ask, are you sure you have everything in place to have a wildly successful holiday? If not, when will you complete this pre-cap?

Here’s another way to use this tool. Consider having others on your management team fill out their pre-brief separately, and get together to share your responses. Together, create a list of what else you should do in the next two months to create a wildly successful holiday. This way after the holiday you'll be filling out a happy recap!

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and speaker/consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their sales results. Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results. Learn about Doug's keynotes and workshops at DougFleener.com.

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Join the number of stores that have immediately increased their sales with our new online training program Beyond the Add-On. The program can be taken on any tablet, smartphone, or computer. Details here.

October 14, 2015

Here’s a post you might want to download, print, and share with your entire team so they can sell more with these simple and effective tips.

l. How to deal with “just looking” customers.

As sure as the sign rises and sets each day, you're going to hear customers say, "Just looking." While not asking questions a customer can answer with "just looking" is key, you're still going to hear it.

The best response is to acknowledge the comment in whatever way works best for you, and then add that you'll check back with her in a little bit. This way, when you reengage her you're just following up with your commitment.

Salesperson: "Hello and welcome to XYZ."

Customer: "Just looking."

Salesperson: "Great. We're glad you're here. Try on any items you'd like, and I'll check in with you in a little bit."

Now, when you reengage the customer you aren’t being pushy, you’re just doing what you said you would do. Try it out, it works.

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2. Take the Butcher Rule Challenge.

Kudos to Aaron, a client's salesperson who had his best sales day ever by always showing the best and highest priced products to the customer first. I call it the Butcher Rule. Aaron sold two expensive products that many salespeople would not even have shown.

Never, ever, assume that you know how much your customer will and will not spend. Your customers deserve to be shown the best product first. It's not only smart selling, but it's the best service you can give.

How about you? Ready to take the Butcher's Rule Challenge? Give EVERY customer today the opportunity to first see and experience the best products in your store that meets his/her needs. Will you take today's challenge?

(You can learn more about the Butcher Rule in the June 24th Weekly, or here online.)

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3. A product in the hand is like two in the register. (Or something like that.)

The seemingly smallest thing we do with customers that has the biggest payoff is putting products in a customer's hands or on his/her person. Yes, I do write about this all of the time. Why? Because every day I see retailers miss opportunities to engage customers with products.

Salespeople point to products, stand in front of them, hold them, talk about them, and look at them through glass, but they're not getting enough of them in their customer's hands.

Holding or touching a product engages an additional sense, which will in turn create a stronger connection with the product. For someone who is looking at a specific product, holding or touching that product can create purchase intent.

Don't ask if the customer wants to see or try on a product. Hand it to her. The more you do that, the less the customers will hand it back. It's that simple.

So let me ask, what will you do today to sell more and deliver an even better customer experience?

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and speaker/consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their sales results. Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results. Learn about Doug's keynotes and workshops at DougFleener.com.

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Join the number of stores that have immediately increased their sales with our new online training program Beyond the Add-On. The program can be taken on any tablet, smartphone, or computer. Details here.

October 07, 2015

Managers often tell me that they coach by leading by example. That's great in theory, but how do you know the staff is watching? How does the employee know what to look for? How do you know they learned it?

I'm all for leading by example. It's a vital part of leadership. Employees are more likely to do what you do and not just what you say, and if a leader isn't willing to do what is expected in the store, how important is it anyway?

Still, leading by example is not a coaching tool. Teaching by example is. The difference is that the manager is engaging the employee in the process, and transferring knowledge while demonstrating expected behaviors and actions.

Most people learn faster when they can first see how something is done. That's why teaching by example is a vital tool for employees learning how to engage customers and deliver a great sales experience.

Here are four tips for effectively teaching by example:

1. Teach in small increments. Rather than teach the entire process on how to sell a particular product, focus on one element such as how to get the customer to hold it or try it on.

2. Tell the employee in advance what to watch for. This a key success factor in teaching by example. Using the above example, you could say to the employee, "Watch how I take the widget off the shelf and hand it to her. I won't ask her if she wants to see it. I'll just hand it to her and she'll take it from me."

3. Confirm afterward that the employee saw and understands what you just taught. Ask the employee what she saw, and why it works. That second half is vital. You taught the how, and the employee needs to internalize the why.

4. Have the employee give you feedback. Tell the employee that after you're done with the customer that you want him/her to tell you what you did well, and what you could have done better. This way the person will be watching with a critical eye. In addition, you'll know by the feedback if he/she learned what you were teaching.

Of course you’ll want to have the employee demonstrate for you what they just learned. That’s when you shift from teacher to coach. And that's another post.

So let me ask, how well do you teach by example? Which of these tips can you apply to be an even better teacher?

Here’s how to use this post as a personal development tool.

First, have your entire management team read this post. Next, have the management team practice and roleplay teaching by example. Choose a specific scenario you want the team to improve in.

Finally, have each manager teach by example with at least one employee each day this week. You'll be amazed at how much more your management team has to teach, and how much faster your staff learns and applies it.

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and speaker/consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their sales results. Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results. Learn about Doug's keynotes and workshops at DougFleener.com.

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Join the number of stores that have immediately increased their sales with our new online training program Beyond the Add-On. The program can be taken on any tablet, smartphone, or computer. Details here.